What Makes a Friend
by AquaTurquoise
Summary: When Sofia gets kidnapped by Miss Nettle, her siblings and closest confidants will stop at nothing to rescue her. (The amulet WILL grant a visitor in this story, but it's probably not the type of visitor you'd think it would be. :) There should be two chapters to this story, so yay for one more multi-chapter! Haha)
1. Best Friends?

What Makes a Friend

Summary: When Sofia gets kidnapped by Miss Nettle, her siblings and closest confidants will stop at nothing to rescue her.

Disclaimer: I do not own Sofia the First or any of the characters from the show.

A/N: I kept having the phrase "Friendship doesn't have an age limit" rushing through my head for some reason. And from that one statement, this whole thing came about. :)

Off-topic A/N: (Oh, and _completely_ off-topic…if you have never tried huckleberry ice cream…you _must_ get some eventually! It aided in my writing this story! Haha. And another off-topic side item: I may be around less during mid-October through late November. Why? Besides finals for me and midterms approaching for my students, Black Friday is right around the corner. Lol, I know. I'm insane. I actually have started online shopping more to save myself the hassle of dealing with crazy people. Amazon saw me a lot last year and will see me even more this year, especially if we get new Sofia stuff out. :) I'm still waiting on a Cedric plushy, so we'll see what happens. :D)

Sofia twirled the end of her braid (created once more thanks to Cedric's "_plecto_" trick she'd learned several weeks ago) around her fingers, signifying that she was growing sleepy. It had been a long day; she and Cedric had spent time together not only gathering ingredients but spell casting and just talking. She enjoyed days like this. They were sort of like down time from reality.

The princess glanced at her friend and smiled. He was staring intently at a vial with a glittery blue substance in it. "Are you waiting for it to talk to you?" she joked, giggling.

"I'm waiting to see if it's going to remain dormant or if it will actually do something," he responded, apparently missing her jest. He looked at the girl and smirked. "You look tired."

Sofia yawned and shook her head. "I'm not tired…" She grinned sleepily when he scoffed good-naturedly at her. "I'll be okay. Oh, I overheard Dad saying that Mr. Goodwin's birthday is next week. Are you going to visit him?"

Cedric shrugged and sighed. "I doubt it. I never really get to leave my workshop unless it's business related these days. Besides, we did just see them a few months ago. Still, I suppose…" He glanced at his Family Wand, securely fastened into a case nearby. "…I don't know, Princess. Maybe I could see them eventually, but I just don't see that happening right now."

Sofia giggled. "You sound like you've got a case of 'Rapunzel."

"Pardon?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow at her words.

"Yeah, you are one extreme one minute and another the next—just like Princess Rapunzel." She smiled. "It's not a hard decision, is it?"

He sighed, putting his head in his hands as he rested against the other side of his table. "It is, actually… I can't make a decisive choice to save my life. Rather unfitting for a sorcerer, wouldn't you say? Perhaps Father was right… Still despite his criticisms, I do miss him and Mother."

She seemed a little saddened by his tone. "Aww, Mr. Cedric, don't be sad. I know you don't get to see your parents much, and I hate seeing you so down, but…" She lit up, grinning. "Ooh, maybe Dad can adopt you! That way, you can have a standby dad!" The princess giggled adorably.

Cedric blanched and looked at her oddly. "…What?"

"Yeah!" She smiled happily. "Then I can be your sister!"

"No, Sofia…just no." He chuckled at her innocent way of solving problems and smiled. "I don't think I could ever see you as a 'sister' anyway."

"You're right," Sofia conceded with a grin as she took his hand. "You're my friend…one of my best friends too."

Cedric smiled patiently at his apprentice. "Aren't I a little old to be your best friend?"

The princess sighed with a gentle smile. "Friendship doesn't have an age limit, Mr. Cedric."

The sorcerer's smile grew at her words, still trying to figure out just what it was about Sofia that brought out not only the best in him, but in others as well. "Thank you for that, Princess Sofia." He tapped her nose playfully. "Now you need to get to bed."

The young girl whined. "But I'm not sleepy yet…" She looked annoyed as a yawn escaped her again, betraying her true state. She pouted as he chuckled. "Okay, so maybe I probably _should_ get some sleep…" She stood from her chair and was about to commence her usual goodbye hug when he held up a hand, stopping her. The girl blinked.

"Allow me," he said gently, opening his arms slightly.

Sofia brightened considerably and dived into her mentor's arms, hugging him. It was the first hug _he _had ever initiated between them…which meant, at least to Sofia, that he was finally able to accept friendly gestures. A lot had changed between them over the last few years, and this was definitely her favorite development.

"Good night, Princess," he told her, patting her back gently. "Sleep well."

The brunette smiled as she nodded and stepped back. "Oh, I will. I promise! And tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow, we'll meet in the garden. I have a surprise."

She gasped excitedly. "Is it a singing lily like you were telling me about the other day?"

"You'll just have to wait and see. Now go on before Baileywick comes to chew me out about keeping you late again."

Sofia giggled and waved as she slid out of the workshop, shutting the door behind her.

Cedric looked toward Wormwood, who was watching him with a confused stare. The sorcerer smirked. "Would you like a hug too, Wormy?"

The raven scoffed and turned, settling down for the night as he lowered his head to rest.

"You know, a simple 'no' would have sufficed." He put away his items from the day spent practicing and experimenting before heading to bed.

The next morning, Cedric awoke to a loud and hasty knock on his door. He groaned and held a pillow over his ears. "Not now, Princess Sofia!" he called, slightly muffled. "It's too early to start our spells."

"Cedric!" King Roland's unmistakable voice called out, slightly annoyed but mostly worried.

The sorcerer squeaked slightly in surprise as he jumped up from his bed. Still dressed in his pajamas, he hurried to the door to his workshop and pulled it open, looking at the king in confusion. "Your Majesty?"

"Cedric, Sofia has been taken."

Those words made Cedric's blood run cold. "T-Taken? What do you mean by that, Your Majesty?"

"Her former teacher, Miss Nettle, left a note saying that she has kidnapped her."

At this explanation, the sorcerer frowned in confusion. "How was she able to get in with all the guards and staff and-?"

"I don't _know_, Cedric!" the king snapped, before sighing at the reaction from Cedric. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to be cantankerous, but this is serious. Baileywick has assembled a team to search for her. I'm going with them. Would you possibly have some way of tracking her? Magic usage or whatever?"

Cedric pondered the request and turned toward his spell book, peering inside, flipping through the pages. He muttered a spell and waved his wand slightly before tapping an empty vial, turning it into a complex-looking compass. He turned and handed it to the king. "Here you are, Your Majesty. If there is any magic usage within a hundred miles, you will know about it."

Roland lifted an eyebrow as he clasped the object. "And how will I be able to determine if the magic is Nettle's or someone else's—even yours?"

The sorcerer tapped the compass, making it open up. "These indicators will determine the type of magic emitted (fairy, witch, warlock, sorcerer, sorceress, wizard, what have you), and it will also determine strength and type—whether the usage is evil or good. Mine will be in purple. I've programmed my usage into it already."

"You did all that with one flick of the wand?" Watching his sorcerer nod silently, even shyly, the king hummed in slight approval. "Maybe Sofia was right, Cedric. Maybe you _are_ a pretty good sorcerer after all."

"Th-Thank you, Your Majesty. Please find her."

"I will. Don't worry." He turned and left from the workshop, hurrying down the stairs as fast as his feet would carry him.

Cedric held onto his wand tightly. _"You're my friend_," he heard Sofia's voice echo in his head from last night. _"One of my best friends too_…" He grabbed his Family Wand from its case and pocketed it before glancing toward Wormwood and holding out his arm. "Come on, Wormy. We need to go find Sofia."

Wormwood flew down to Cedric's arm and rested there, slightly worried at the change in his master's tone. "Apparently, one does not mess with the princess," he mumbled to himself, knowing Cedric would not be able to understand him.

Both left the tower.

Amber was pacing back and forth in the throne room with James chasing after her, trying to calm her down. "_Who_ would kidnap Sofia?!" she cried in despair, waving her arms around. "She's just a little girl! And besides, if anyone should have been kidnapped, it should have been _me_! I'm the one with the most expensive jewels!"

James finally stopped and rolled his eyes at his sister's antics. He simply waited for her to walk by again before he grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her. "Amber!" he said firmly, looking at her pointedly. "Snap out of it, would ya? You acting like a freaked out drama queen isn't going to help Sofia."

"Drama queen?! James, I am _not_ a drama queen! I'm just worried about Sofia."

"We all are, but we can't lose our heads over this. We have to stay calm and think rationally."

The blonde girl gave her brother a deadpan look. "Says the boy who's obsessed with canons and getting into trouble? Please, James, you're nearly as bad as I am sometimes." She grabbed his hands and lowered them to his sides. She folded her arms. "So what do you suggest we do about this? Dad and Mom won't let us go with them to search for her. Baileywick is even worried."

"I know—the last time I saw Baileywick worried…" James frowned, scratching his head. "I don't think I've actually seen him get worried, really…"

"See?" She sighed.

"Why don't we go look for her ourselves?" the prince suggested.

"You and me?" She blinked. "We'll probably get in trouble if we go after her…"

"That's why we'll take someone along to take care of us. Baileywick can come with us."

"Come with you where?" the steward asked as he walked over to the twins, his eyes staring them down suspiciously.

"To rescue Sofia," the princess responded firmly. "She and I rescued Dad and James and others before, so it can't be that hard."

"Princess Amber, we wouldn't even know where to begin. All we know is that some crazed, shape-shifting, deranged fairy has taken Sofia…"

"Maybe I can help," Cedric told them as he approached, Wormwood firmly planted on his shoulder now.

"You?" Amber asked with slightly widened eyes. "You'd actually go with us to save Sofia?"

"Of course I would. Why is that so surprising?" He nearly forgot to whom he was speaking, realizing Amber and Sofia were completely different princesses… "Um, sorry, Princess Amber. I don't mean to sound cross."

"It's fine, Cedric." She sighed and twirled some hair around her fingers nervously. "So do you have any ideas?"

The sorcerer thought a few moments before looking toward Baileywick. "We're going to need a few things…"

Baileywick blinked.

Meanwhile, in a hidden cabin in the woods, Sofia was still in her blue nightgown and tied to a chair as Miss Nettle sang a happy song and twirled around the room in glee. The princess had had to endure this type of musical torture for the last several hours, and it was starting to get on her nerves.

"I don't understand," Sofia told the woman, frowning. "Why did you kidnap me? You _know_ my parents and friends are going to come after me."

"Oh, darling, that's exactly what I'm hoping for," she responded with a grin. "See, now that I have you here, I have your precious amulet. When the king intrudes, I can go ahead and do away with him and take charge of everything."

Sofia groaned, sounding annoyed. "Why is everyone after my amulet? All it does is allow me to…" She paused and shut her mouth immediately. If Nettle knew about the ability to talk to animals and summon princesses out of the blue, who knew what she'd do with that information?

"Hmm?" the fairy asked, seeming distracted. She poured something into her cauldron and spoke a spell Sofia didn't recognize. Apparently, fairies and sorcerers had different methods.

She sighed and leaned her head against the chair. She missed Cedric. She missed her family. She missed her bed and Clover and…shoes. Her feet were freezing. She also wished that she'd grabbed a wand so that she could have at least armed herself. The princess glanced to the side of the cabin and saw an extra wand lying on a table, seemingly forgotten. She smiled cleverly, developing a plan in her head as she worked at trying to undo her bonds quietly.

"I am so tired," Amber complained as she and the others were now hiking in the forest together. Cedric had apparently gotten an idea or a lead—or whatever he had called it; she honestly hadn't paid much attention. She was exhausted, holding onto James for support as they continued. "Can we just take a little break?"

"In a minute," Cedric promised as he was observing an identical device to the one he'd made for King Roland earlier. "I may have a positive reading on fairy magic usage." He eyed the trees ahead and pointed in that general direction. "There! See?"

Baileywick, holding a huge backpack similar to what he'd carried during his first journey with the Buttercups, tilted his head. "See what?"

James nodded. "Cedric's right. I see some different colors shooting back and forth. Let's go check it out."

Amber whined slightly. "I can't even walk anymore, though. I'm just so tired."

Rolling his eyes in minor irritation, James knelt slightly and told her, "Get on my back. I'll carry you."

The princess lit up, no questions asked. "Okay!" She climbed onto her brother's back and wrapped her arms around his neck, smiling. "Onward!"

James groaned at the girl's instructions. "Easy for you to say…"

They moved forward and did indeed come across fairy magic. Cedric sighed when he realized it was just Flora, Fauna, and Merriweather. "Oh, it's you three," he said, defeated.

Merriweather frowned up at him from her spot on the ground. "And hello to you too, Cedric—the grumpiest sorcerer in the land."

Flora looked concerned as she observed the group. "What's wrong? Where is Princess Sofia?"

"Oh, Miss Flora, she's been princess-napped!" Amber lamented, a sad look gracing her features.

"She has? Amber, why are you riding on Prince James's back, dear?"

James shrugged as he placed his sister to the ground. "She was tired."

Fauna smiled, pleased. "You're a good brother, young prince."

The blonde boy blushed and smiled.

"Let's refocus here, people," Baileywick instructed as he placed his large bag onto the ground. "Ladies, would you happen to know where we can find that Nettle woman?"

"_She_ kidnapped Sofia?" Merriweather asked, enraged. She flew up, growling. "Let me at her! I'll knock that smirk right off her face!"

"Easy," Flora instructed the other woman, calming her down. "How do you know it was Nettle who kidnapped Sofia?"

"She left a note," James replied simply.

"How thoughtful," Fauna said, sighing. "Well, I'm afraid we're not really sure of her whereabouts. She disappears quite a bit."

"Yes," Cedric said flatly, "we've noticed. But if I can just get this device to work properly, it's possible that we could find her faster." He glanced at Flora. "You wouldn't happen to have a location spell by any chance, would you?"

She shook her head. "None that work. That spell is under construction and review."

"That can happen?" Amber asked, tilting her head.

"Unfortunately," Merriweather sighed. "The Magic Board likes to 'update' and 'fix' things that don't need to be 'updated' or 'fixed.' That happens with a lot of things these days…"

Fauna smiled and placed a hand on Cedric's shoulder, encouraging him, "But keep your head up, my dear. You'll find her. With this steadfast determination you all have, I know you'll be able to rescue your dear princess."

Cedric actually smiled at her in appreciation. "Thank you…"

"Dinner time!" Nettle sang as she lowered a bowl of stew in front of Sofia and grinned. "You'll like it: mushroom and beetle bug stew."

The princess winced at the name and blinked. "I'll pass."

"I figured." She grabbed the bowl and tossed it into the cauldron, not flinching at all when the ingredients within exploded in a large cloud of grey and purple smoke. When it died down, she looked back at the princess. "Well, what do you say? Hand over the amulet and I'll send you home now."

"I don't believe you, and even if I did, I'd never give you my amulet." She was standing her ground, just like her parents had taught her to do. "It wouldn't do you any good anyway. Don't you know about the curse?"

The fairy raised an eyebrow. "What curse?"

Sofia sighed and recited Cedric's spell book statement from a couple of years ago, "With each deed performed, for better or worse, a power is granted: a blessing or curse. Don't you see? If you try to steal my amulet and use it for bad things, you'll get a curse put on you. You don't want that to happen, right?"

"Honey, I'm a powerful fairy. I _make_ curses—I don't get them." She grinned and twirled her wand in her fingers. "That's okay, though. You'll hand it over to me willingly soon enough." She chuckled lowly.

Sofia looked concerned as Nettle went back to her cauldron. What did she mean by that? She grimaced and went back to attempting to loosen her bonds.

"Cedric, I'm pleasantly surprised with you," Baileywick admitted as they continued on, with some helpful hints from the three fairies. "You actually seem genuinely concerned about Princess Sofia's wellbeing and safety. You're really worried?"

"Of course I am worried about her! She's my…" He paused, surprised at what he was about to admit as the others watched him curiously. "She's my best friend…"

Baileywick raised an eyebrow at the sorcerer as they all paused to rest. "She's nine…"

Amber and James glanced back and forth between the two adults.

Cedric folded his arms. "Yes, and…?"

"You're _not_…nor are you even close to the same age."

"Friendship doesn't have an age limit, Baileywick." He pondered these words, realizing Sofia had said the exact same thing the day before. "And friends help each other. I'm not about to lose the one person who saw the best in me, and I'm not giving up until we find her." He grasped his wand tighter as he moved forward. "Are you three coming or not?"

James and Amber were in shock at their royal sorcerer's mini outburst over their sister. They knew the two were close, but it hadn't been clear just _how_ close until right then.

"Wow," James said as he grabbed Amber's hand and dragged her along, keeping her going as she was still tired. "Who knew the Ced-man had a heart like that?"

"The 'Ced-man?'" Amber asked with a crinkle of her nose. "James, leave the colloquialisms at the door, dear brother…" She glanced to Baileywick, who was following them and appeared to be in deep thought. "Baileywick?"

He smiled toward her, sensing her slight worry. "I'm fine, Princess Amber. Don't worry."

Meanwhile, Miranda and Roland were leading their team in a different direction. They'd already encountered lots of setbacks and unfortunate circumstances dealing with more ogres and riddles.

"This is hopeless," the king sighed, shaking Cedric's device. "Why isn't this thing working?"

Miranda blinked, staring at her husband. "Maybe you should open it first, dear," she said gently, reaching forward and unfastening the compass cover.

Roland stared at the device and then back at Miranda. "…I knew that."

She smiled. "I know you're stressed, Rollie, but we're going to find her. I know my Sofia. She's strong, and she can take care of herself. She'll be fine until we make it to her. Trust me."

"I trust you. I'm just frustrated."

"Don't be. Cedric's compass _has_ led us to lots of magical beings so far. And it will lead us to more. One of them has to be Nettle and Sofia. Besides, didn't you say Cedric indicated that his power would show up on here if we needed him?"

"Yes, but…" He looked at the device and seemed confused. "Why is Cedric's indicator moving?" His eyes widened. "He doesn't even appear to be in the castle anymore." He frowned. "Why would he leave?"

"Maybe he wanted to look for her too? They _are_ rather close, you know…"

"Yes, I know, but… I'd prefer that he'd stayed and helped Baileywick watch the twins." He sighed. "I suppose there's nothing to do about it now. Let's keep moving."

To be continued…

A/N: Hi, guys! I'm going to stop right here and continue in the next chapter. I didn't realize this story was going to be so long, but when you've got three different groups going in various directions at the same time…yeah, I guess it's a good idea to divide things up. :) This story wasn't necessarily in my original lineup of things to write, but that line about friendship kept swimming in my head and wouldn't leave. So there we are! Expect an update later on today…or sometime this week. Also, I have a very important/cool visitor in the next chapter. She's kind of an inspiration to me, and I know she'll be the best one to help out Sofia against Nettle, even if she doesn't necessarily fit the "mold" for the types of visitors the amulet usually grants. Any thoughts on who this could be? ;) Hehe, you'll find out!

By the way, I've made something for you all. Follow the link below (remove the spaces and replace 'periods'), and you'll see what I mean. It's a 'thank you' of sorts to you all, plus it keeps me organized. Lol!

Replace the spaces and periods: reina-rachelle period wix period com back slash aquaturquoisesofia

Till later! Thanks once again for the reviews and support. Love you all for it. :) Have a great day. See you soon! ~AquaTurquoise


	2. True Friendship

What Makes a Friend  
>Chapter 2<p>

Summary: When Sofia gets kidnapped by Miss Nettle, her siblings and closest confidants will stop at nothing to rescue her.

Disclaimer: I do not own Sofia the First or any of the characters from the show.

Sofia sighed, beginning to feel defeated. Her bonds were no closer to being completely loosened. The only good thing was that Nettle had finally decided to go to bed. The princess slumped, feeling exhausted but frightened at the same time. Unlike so many other encounters with mean-spirited people, she actually felt threatened by this fairy and she wasn't sure why.

"I just want to know _why_," she said quietly, closing her eyes. "And I just need someone to help me." She opened her eyes again slowly before realizing her amulet was glowing. She gasped. A princess was going to show up? Thank goodness!

Sofia looked around as the amulet's glow faded, but she didn't see anyone. "Hello?" she asked quietly, trying to avoid waking up the blonde fairy. She gasped again as a much smaller fairy flew in front of her, tossing her long black hair over her shoulder and dusting off her purple outfit. "Who are you?"

The fairy smirked. "Never heard of me, huh, Sofia?" she asked slightly sarcastically with a shrug before laughing lightly. "I guess I can't say I'm surprised. You've heard of Tinker Bell?"

"Of course! One of the best fairies to ever grace our text book pages…"

"Right… Well, I'm Vidia. I'm one of her closest friends. And honey, you look like you could use some help."

"I could," she replied, sighing in relief. "But I can't wake up Miss Nettle."

"Who's that?" Vidia asked, blinking, before looking in the direction Sofia pointed.

"She's a really mean fairy who kidnapped me and tried to steal my amulet."

"Oh, really? Let's take a look at this bully and maybe I can talk—or knock—some sense into her." She flew over to the other sleeping fairy and gasped, zooming back to Sofia and hiding in her hair. "That is the hugest fairy I've ever seen! What'd she do—scarf down some 'Eat Me' cakes?" She shuddered and stepped onto Sofia's shoulder, determined again. "Don't worry, Sofia. I'll get you out of this."

The princess smiled gratefully as the fast-flying fairy landed on her hands and began working to loosen the ropes. "Thanks, Vidia… By the way, why did my amulet summon you and not a princess like it normally does?"

The pint-sized fairy smirked as she kicked the remaining ropes from the girl's hands and flew up to her. "I guess it's because it takes a fairy to beat a fairy. Besides, I used to be kind of tough and mean before I changed my ways. Sometimes, all you need is a friend." She shrugged as Sofia pondered this statement. "By the way, try moving your arms now."

Sofia sighed in relief as she felt blood rushing through her arms again, the stiff feeling wearing off slowly but surely. "Thank you. If I could hug you without crushing you, I would." She giggled.

"Well, that's not necessary," Vidia said, laughing nervously and holding up her hands. "By the way, do you see what I see?" She glanced at the table where the wand from earlier was left behind.

"You're right…" Sofia jumped up quietly and sneaked over to the table, grabbing the wand and grasping it tightly. "Now what do I do?"

Vidia shrugged. "Stand up for yourself. Don't let anyone push you around. And of course, believe in yourself. You're a princess, kid. You can do anything you set your mind to." She grinned as the girl giggled and nodded. "Good. Now make me proud. I'll check on you later." She winked and disappeared via the amulet.

The princess sighed and clutched the wand in her hands, determined. "Bring it on, Miss Nettle."

Meanwhile, the others in the search party had decided to rest for the night. Well, 'rest' was a bit of an arbitrary word. Rather, they were no longer walking and instead decided to rest their bodies before continuing on.

Amber had taken her brush from Baileywick's bag and run it through her hair a few times before putting it back, and she'd fallen asleep maybe half an hour ago. James joined her soon after.

That left Cedric and Baileywick, who didn't seem to want to talk very much. However, as minutes passed, they finally broke their silence.

"I can't believe I let the princess get kidnapped," Baileywick confessed, sighing and putting his head in his hands. "King Roland must be furious with me."

Cedric raised an eyebrow at his companion and spoke, "It wasn't your fault, Baileywick. It was that crazy, hyperactive, conniving fairy. She's the one to blame for this, not you. Not any of us." He waved his wand around and created a fire on a set of logs to keep the four of them warm. "Besides, if I know Sofia, and I do, she can actually take pretty good care of herself."

The castle steward smiled. "I suppose she learned a little bit of that from you, eh?"

The sorcerer blinked. "Me?"

"Of course, Cedric. It's no secret that you two work well together, and you both have developed a bond and a friendship that I really didn't see coming. At first glance two years ago, one would have assumed you detested the young princess—despite her fascination with you."

Cedric shrugged. "Well, could you blame me? She was inquisitive and ever-so irritating at times, but I think her adjustment to the castle and princess life has changed her a bit…not that there was ever actually anything wrong with her before. I just find her more tolerable and even relatable now."

Baileywick smirked. "In other words, you like her. She keeps you on your toes and makes you think positively about yourself."

"Y-Yes, I suppose you could say that. But I'm sure she does that for everyone."

"Of course, but you're her favorite. You always have been." He stood and yawned. "I think I'm going to get some sleep. You should do the same. Good night, Cedric." He moved over to his sleeping bag near the twins and slipped inside, falling asleep almost immediately.

Cedric pondered Baileywick's words and gasped quietly when Wormwood nuzzled him, a strangely affectionate move for such a usually detached raven. "Ready for bed, Wormy?"

Wormwood cawed sleepily and floated down to the ground, looking up at Cedric.

The sorcerer lay inside his own sleeping bag and sighed as Wormwood nestled under the flap of the fabric, trying to stay warm. "Night, Wormwood." He gazed up at the stars for a few minutes before finally falling asleep.

Sofia had managed to hide in a broom closet most of the night. She was shivering slightly as the nightgown was short sleeved and she still had no shoes. But that wand was clutched tightly in her hand just in case the unpredictable fairy tried anything.

She did manage to get a few hours of sleep, so she was alert the next morning just before the sun rose. Sofia watched, her heart thumping in her ears, as Miss Nettle flew into the room and paused where the princess was supposed to be.

The wicked fairy grinned and held up her own wand, calling in a saccharine voice, "Oh, Princess Sofia! Where are you, dear pesky girl?"

Sofia held the extra wand toward the fairy through the crack in the door and whispered a modified version of a spell she knew all too well: "Somnibus Persona Celae."

Nettle had turned at the moment of the spell and gasped as the magic hit her, causing her to fall asleep where she stood.

Sofia grinned, blew the end of the wand, and crawled out of the closet. She folded her arms. "I guess she isn't immune to spells. Now I've got to get out of here..."

She turned and grasped the door handle, frowning when it appeared to be stuck. "Oh, no... What was that spell Mr. Cedric taught me about locks..?" She smiled and waved the wand. "Porta Resera." She cheered silently as the lock fell off before she quickly made her exit.

Cedric and Baileywick walked behind the twins yet again as they continued on their way. Cedric felt they were getting closer, because his compass was showing strange signs of magical reactions. This news was appealing to the lot of them, especially Amber.

"Good!" she stated firmly. "Because I'm tired, I long for a real bath and a real nap in a _real _bed…and I have a party to plan for Hildegard's birthday, so I can't afford to be out here much longer."

James frowned. "But, Amber, we have to find Sofia first."

"I know, James. I'm just saying…"

Baileywick pointed ahead. "Look," he told them, his eyes widening a little bit. "Is that who I think it is?"

Cedric looked up and gasped. "Princess Sofia!"

The young girl turned upon hearing her name and smiled widely. "Mr. Cedric!" She ran toward him and hugged him tightly before losing her balance and knocking them over. She laughed and continued hugging him. "I'm so happy to see you!"

Amber blinked at her sister and made a noise of disapproval. "Sofia, are you seriously not dressed yet? And have you seen your _hair_?"

James rolled his eyes. "Amber, she can't help that she was kidnapped… Give her a break."

Baileywick chimed in to keep them from arguing, "Princess Sofia, where is Miss Nettle? And how did you get free?"

She smiled as Cedric helped her to her feet. "She's in the cabin down the hill. I used a spell Mr. Cedric taught me—with a wand Miss Nettle conveniently left out on a table—and made her fall asleep."

Cedric grinned. "That's my girl." He blushed even as the words left his mouth and stuttered, "U-Uh, I mean… That's why you're my apprentice. Y-You catch on quickly." He pulled out his Family Wand and willed away his nervousness. "Let's go make sure this rotten fairy doesn't bother you again, shall we?"

James and Amber exchanged glances while Sofia smiled up at Baileywick, who returned the smile and followed her down the hill.

"Why did she kidnap you exactly?" Amber wondered.

"She wanted my amulet…again."

"Hmph! That woman has a lot of nerve." The blonde girl tossed her hair behind her shoulder. "I sure hope you are able to blast her to another century, Cedric."

He laughed lightly and shook his head. "That's…not exactly how it works, Princess Amber. It's easier said than done."

When they arrived to the cabin, Baileywick kept the kids outside as Cedric entered, the wand pointed ahead of him. He blinked upon glancing around and called out to Sofia, "Where is she?"

Sofia froze. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, she's not here. See for yourself." He opened the door more and allowed the girl to look inside. He watched her face pale immediately. "Sofia, what spell did you use again…?"

"The sleeping spell I said by accident my first dance at the castle—the one you later told me that you gave me by accident, remember?"

"Oh, uh, right…" He thought to himself, 'Yeah, best she not know the truth about that one…' "Well, I don't know where she went, but you're safe now and we can go hoooome-!" He faltered as he felt a blast of power behind him, causing him to drop his Family Wand.

"Mr. Cedric!"

"Cedric!" the others called in unison.

Miss Nettle cackled as she reeled in her powers and grinned as Cedric collapsed to the floor. "You're still quite the meddlesome sorcerer, aren't you?" she asked with a chuckle. "Come to save the dear princess? But why? We were having so much fun." She pointed her wand at the princess. "By the way, that spell? It doesn't fully work anymore; it wears off after a minute. The Magic Board repealed it. Isn't that a shame? Now hand over the amulet!"

"Never!" she said firmly, clasping her hands over her treasured necklace.

"Then say goodbye to your friend." She lifted her wand and aimed it at Cedric.

Wormwood cawed as he flew inside, pecking at the woman's head and grabbing her wand in his beak in the process.

"Wormy!" Cedric sighed in relief, happy to see the raven. He smirked as Wormwood landed on his shoulder and dropped the fairy's wand into his hand. He also grabbed his Family Wand and proceeded to aim them both at Nettle. "I think you're outnumbered."

"Hmm… It would appear so." She scowled and held up her hand. "Don't worry—I'll be back! The moment you let down your guard, I'll be there." She grinned wickedly and vanished in a screen of varying colors.

Sofia let out a sigh, glancing at the other castle dwellers. "Is everyone okay?"

"Yeah," James responded with a thumbs up. "We're good. Well, Amber's cranky, but what else is new?"

The other princess squeaked and lightly hit his shoulder.

Baileywick observed the fairy's wand as he stood at a fair distance. He never much cared for the uncertainty of magic, so he was very wary. "So what are you going to do with her wand?" he asked Cedric.

"I haven't the slightest idea. But I do know it should probably be locked away… I don't want it getting into the wrong hands." He sheathed both wands in his robe and blinked when he felt arms wrap around him again. He smiled patiently and placed a hand on Sofia's head. "Let's go home, hmm?"

Sofia nodded with tired eyes. "Please… I'm sure Mom and Dad are worried sick."

Amber gasped. "Oh, no! We forgot all about them. Ugh, if only we had a telecommunication device to let them know that Sofia is all right."

James rolled his eyes as Sofia giggled. "Keep dreaming, Amber."

Word eventually made it to the king and queen that Sofia was rescued and home safe and sound. Things went back to normal—or as normal as things could be in Enchancia. Clover had practically tackled the princess to the ground when he saw her, welcoming her home with a round of affection he once loathed.

It was one sunny morning a few days later when Sofia was sitting on her bed and flipping through a book. She came across a picture of Tinker Bell and smiled. "I just wish I could let Vidia know that I made it," she mumbled to herself.

"I know," Vidia responded as she appeared next to her, startling the princess. "I'm proud of you, kid."

Sofia seemed surprised. "When did you get here?"

The fast-flying fairy just grinned. "You know, I usually detest humans, but you're pretty cool. After I found out that you were okay, I decided to investigate this Enchancia of yours. It's pretty neat, but nothing compares to Pixie Hollow."

"Is that where you live?"

"Of course. Maybe someday…eh, I don't think you'll fit in Pixie Hollow actually." She laughed.

"Miss Vidia?" another voice called, making the black-haired fairy sigh in annoyance.

"It's _just_ 'Vidia,' for the fiftieth time," she snapped, whirling around to see a rather interesting looking sparrow man (male fairy) floating up to her. "Sofia, this is Bobble. Bobble, Princess Sofia."

Bobble laughed, clutching his sides. "Miss Vidia, everyone knows humans can't understand us!"

"_This_ human can," Sofia replied with a grin, making him gasp in fright. "Don't worry! It's my amulet. It allows me to talk to anyone…or any animal…or fairy." She giggled. She looked toward Vidia and asked, "So is this your boyfriend?"

Bobble blushed and stuttered as Vidia scoffed and flipped her hair defiantly. "He's not _that_ lucky." She smiled at the princess. "Glad to see you're okay, Princess. Maybe we'll meet again sometime. Bobble, let's go." She grabbed the still-embarrassed sparrow man and dragged him out of the room through the opened window.

Sofia giggled and looked to the door as she heard a knock. "Come in!" While surprised at her visitor, she smiled happily. "Hi, Mr. Cedric! What brings you here?"

He shrugged and leaned against the door frame. "I was just wondering if you wanted to come with me to my father's birthday party today. My mother asked about you quite a lot, you know."

She lit up. "You want me to go with you? Really?" She slid off her bed and hurried over to him. "I'd love to!"

"Well, you can't very well go like _that_," he said sarcastically with a chuckle as he indicated her pajamas.

"Oh, right! Let me get changed and—"

"_Princeps veste purpurea_," Cedric interrupted, pointing his wand at her and watching as a new purple dress appeared in place of her night clothes.

Sofia looked at the dress and then back at her mentor, smiling happily. "Is this for me?"

"As a thank you, Princess Sofia, for all you've done for me." He smiled at her.

"B-But what about you? You saved me! How can I thank _you_, Mr. Cedric?"

"Distract my father if he starts babbling on again about how spells _should_ be spoken if I want to cast a spell?" he suggested.

She grinned. "You got it!" She left with Cedric and shut the door behind them, and they set out for a new adventure.

The end

(A/N: I apologize for the huge delay in getting chapter two out! We got blasted by some bad weather down here, tornado and all that good stuff, and I've been without power for a few days. I'm staying with a family member, who thankfully has Internet, and I was finally able to finish this and upload it. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter/story. I'll be working on another story soon enough. Take care! ;) ~AquaTurquoise)


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